Carole King: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance At The White House

This series of performance specials at the White House presents the best of American performing arts. From the Broadway musical to opera, country and western, gospel, ballet, jazz and more, the series has featured the extraordinary richness of American music and dance.

Courtesy of Kirsten Shultz

Carole King, award-winning singer-songwriter and the recipient of the 2013 Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

Courtesy of James O’Mara

James Taylor, performer for “Carole King: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance At The White House.”

Courtesy of Jesús Cordero

Gloria Estefan, performer for “Carole King: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance At The White House."

Courtesy of Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Billy Joel, performer for “Carole King: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance At The White House."

Courtesy of Emily Soto

Jesse McCartney, performer for “Carole King: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize In Performance At The White House."

This will be the first time the Gershwin Prize honor has been presented to a woman. An iconic creative force, King is more than a half century into her singular career as a songwriter, performer and author. A universally renowned and beloved figure, she is known for such enduring hits as “You’ve Got a Friend,” “So Far Away,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” and “I Feel the Earth Move.”

King wrote her first hit at age 17, penning “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” for the Shirelles with then-husband Gerry Goffin. The dozens of chart hits Goffin and King wrote during this period have become part of music legend, including “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “The Loco-Motion” and “Up on the Roof.”

It was King’s breakout 1971 album "Tapestry" that took her to the pinnacle, and remains one of the best-selling records of all time. It spoke personally to her contemporaries and provided the spiritual musical backdrop to the decade. The album’s success established King as an influential force in the industry and she built a legacy of deeply personal communication through song that endures today.

In 2007, King and Taylor recorded six performances that were documented in the GRAMMY Award-nominated, GOLD-certified "Live at the Troubadour" CD and DVD, released in 2010 and inspiring the pair’s sold-out world tour, as well as a feature-length documentary that premiered on PBS.